Distant Worlds
by Katraa
Summary: Being exiled can cause certain emotions to flare. And certain ideas. So they, Mithos Yuan and Martel, set off to Sybak for answers. Where our journey begins. [Spoilers!] [Some language] [YuxMar later on]
1. Chapter 1

heh, I customized my laptop background to be Yuan and Kratos memorable moments. Now I am always inspired when I turn on my computer to start writing a new chapter! x3! They do look so ubberly cute together. (staring at her background) and I do love Yuan's wings! Squeak! Anyways, I got this inspirtaion, actually I have no clue when I did get this inspiration. I just felt the odd desire to write about the past and the Kharlan War. Of course, this was before Yuan turned so bitter towards everything. Ugh that means no Kratos and Yuan pairing. heh darnit! anyways I'm going to tell this story in Yuan's point of view seeing in my mind he Mithos and Martel were friends as they set out on this journey to stop the war knowing of Mithos power to make pacts with Summon Spirits. So let's enjoy this trip to Kharlan with your host, spiffeh Katra! x3. And I'm sorry if I don't get all the facts and so on correct. Namco has still not provided us with a Kharlan War Game with Yuan and the other four. Oh well!

Wanrings: My Gosh! So Many Spoilers! Pairings; Yuan and Martel mostly O.O My desire for Kratos and Yuan won't be fufilled on this story, heh I feel so depressed now! And Yuan Martel and Mithos are all the age they are in the game. Well you get the idea. They aren't young kids. Yuan is the oldest Martel second oldest and Mithos youngest. You get the idea xP

Distant Worlds

"With the information pointing that you group are half-elves, I herbry exile; Martel, Mithos, and Yuan from Heimdall for being unpure elves and lieing to the community. If you return, we will not hold back on harming you. Leave Now."

I closed my eyes as we turned our backs on the village. If that annoying sun of the current Elf Elder wasn't so interested in Martel and the rest of us, we would still be living in Heimdall with our secret safely hidden. Sighing I walked beside Mithos and Martel. We were abandoned now, in a forest we used to play in when we were much younger. It was a long time before any of us spoke.

"Where are we going now? Humans and Elves hate us and the war is going on between our world and the declining world," Mithos spoke meekly leaning his head against his sister as we walked at a slow pace. Twitching uneasily I thought about the other world which was filled with filthy humans of all types. I clenched my teeth and glanced over at them.

"Well, I'm not going to a world filled with filthy humans who can't accept someone even though they have part of their blood running through their veins," I spoke bitterly. A swift agreeance came from Mithos but Martel looked shocked at my sudden outburst. Shaking her head vigorously in a protest as we neared the exit of the forest, she ran her hand through her younger brothers hair.

"That's not true Yuan, it's because we're... different," She finally concluded as we made it out of the forest onto the open plains. All was quiet, and the air was so fresh and clean, unlike the misty smell of water from our home village.

"I agree with Yuan," I heard Mithos speak in a whisper. Sighing, I looked around for a small spot to rest and think of a plan on what we would do. All I could see were wide open plains. Plains for miles and miles. A feeling of being deserted flooded over me.

"Stop it, both of you. I'm sure not all humans discriminate against our kind," Martel's voice spoke softly.

A human who didn't care of our split lineage? That was only a dream in all of our minds. What we all really wanted was a world where everyone was treated equally and half-elves could live freely. I swear, if we met up with any humans I would personally kill them.

"I'm sorry," I heard Mithos reply, but I knew from his tone of voice he didn't really meant he was sorry. Frowning, Martel tilted her head wearily at the duo of us. She never spoke ill of humans nor elves.

I envied Martel for her open heart and love for this world even though a large number of people living in both worlds despied her race. But she was so strong-willed and kind. Even sometimes I could see her point of view that humans and elves weren't that bad, but an event such as what just occurred brought me back to reality, painfully.

"Where do we go now?" I snapped. No response came from either of them. It they were are idealess as I. I felt annoyed once more, but lost in a sea of emptiness.

"What's the closest town?" Mithos asked looking over at me. I thought for a few moments. Heimdall was mostly on a lone continent, but the waterway between the other mass of land and where we stood wasn't that large and could be possible to swim across. Just possibly.

"We could make a raft and ride across the water to go to Sybak," Martel advised taking the words right out of my mind. Stuttering for words, I cleared my throat and gave a smile.

"That's a great idea," I replied hopefully. However Mithos seemed disturbed. Raising his head to look at both of us, he couldn't manage but to sigh in a odd manor.

"You're just agreeing with her," Mithos began but then cut himself off and looked at the beach appearing in view. If we had any chance of finding a place to eat and rest, it'd be there, across the water and in Sybak.

"So, should we try?" Martel asked, a little uneasy. She wasn't much of a water person. After that time Mithos had pushed her in the water in the forest, she was fearful of large bodies of water. Shifting my glance over to her, I spoke softly so she could only hear.

"Don't worry, if anything happens I'll save you,"

"Alright then let's build that raft," Mithos seemed amused at the thought of an adventure. Seeming stunned at his sudden change of attitude, I could only smile a bit at Martel then followed behind Mithos to the beach to find driftwood.

It was only a matter of what feelt like hours before we had collected enough wood to make a raft big enough to carry us across the river. I sat on the shore watching Mithos run back and forth on the beach edge patching pieces of wood together. It seemed like a great idea at firt, but as I looked across what seemed like a quarter of a mile water, my stomach began to urch. Martel sat by my side, and she looked content for some reason. My eyes darted from Mithos then to his sister.

"It's almost done! No thanks to you too," I could hear Mithos chime as he started to wrap pieces of wood together vigorously. All I could do was to gave a smirk, negative attitudes would only cause this journey to be a complete failure, so I had to keep positive.

"I... think i'll let you and Mithos go to Sybak and stay here," Martel suddenly spoke wearily. She clasped her hands together and looked downward at the sand beneath her. My shock was enormous as Martel suggested that she should leave us behind.

"No, that wouldn't work. What would happen to you with no protection or help? If you don't go, then I won't go," I answered smugly then smiled at her. She still looked nervous but gave a sigh and managed a smile back at me.

"Ok, I'll go," She said disdainfully looking over at her brother busy at work. Moments passed before she spoke again. "He's really doing his best. But what will we find in Sybak? Surely nothing awaits us there," Martel spoke, shaking a lot. Shaking my head I took a deep breath and thought of the right words.

"Nothing awaits us anywhere Martel. We're just a useless group of half-elves but we have to make the best of it, and if we don't stop anywhere to buy supplies we are good as dead," I relied thinking of our current crisis. My stomach growled from hunger but I kept a straight face. Was it really going to be this easy to find our meaning in life?

"Oh would you two stop talking and come over here and help me put the raft in the water!" Mithos hollered standing over the raft. His yellow hair whipped in his face and he tried to get it out of his face repeatedly until he finally gave up. I sat up alongside Martel and walked over to the raft and just starred at it, unsure.

"Mithos, are you sure that'll carry the three of us?" I asked just starring at the collection of logs wrapped together. I was expecting a reassuring speech from Mithos but that wasn't what happened.

"Maybe you're right, are you volunteering to stay here?" Mithos asked with a stern look at me. I seemed startle at his sudden dislike towards me and shook my head trying to act as cool headed as possible at a time like this.

"I wasn't saying that," I snapped crossing my arms. I glanced over at Martel who was eyeing the raft uneasily. I sighed helplessly and turned back to watching Mithos scowl at me.

"Then let's get going!" Mithos spoke picking up a side of the raft and looked over at me as if I were to pick up the other side. I just stood there for a few moments before I heard Mithos hiss, " Make yourself useful and help me instead of staring at my sister."

Biting down my lip I swore I heard Martel laugh kind-heartdely as I lifted up the other side of the raft and carried it along with Mithos to the very edge of the water and set it down in the water. Swaying back and forth we turned around and walked back to where Martel was.

"Well let's go," I heard Mithos spoke boredly. Agreeing with a nod, I watched the half-elf run out into the water and jump on the raft as if this was just a ride that would have no dangers.

"Don't worry, go get on the raft and I'll give it a push start," I told Martel as she nodded and walked out into the waves and sat down next to her brother. A feeling of dread overwhelmed me as I just starred at ground. This was the last time I'd be in my homeland, I looked over my shoulder and starred at the forest in the distantance. Taking a leep of face, literally, I ran out into the waves, shoved the raft and jumped on barely landing on it.

"Smooth move Yuan," I heard Mithos joke. With a sigh, I looked over my shoulder once more as we began to drift away from the shore, very slowly. Crossing my arms, I starred at the direction we were going, waiting to see the coast in view. This was going to be a long trip.

"We aren't moving Mithos..." Martel spoke, distressed. It was true, we were just floating out on the ocean on a raft that could barely hold us. Martel's face showed a hint of anxiety as she closed her eyes trying not to think about what was going on.

"Fine, let me cast a wind spell," Mithos murmured as he waved a hand in the air and a sharp breeze blasted behind us sending us at a normal speed, surfing across the open water. Finally we were out in the open. This was beginning of our journey and the end of our old lives.

"Aren't we going alittle too fast?" Martel finally spoke after five minutes. Rolling my eyes, I looked over at Mithos who was standing up unlike Martel and I. Sharply turning his head, Mithos glared at his sister with annoyance.

"Come on Martel. you were just complaining that we weren't moving," He pleaded as he turned back around, hair flying in the air from the breeze. Martel was right. We were moving rapidly and I started to see the coast of the other land mass in sight. I kept sitting down, praying that we would arrive smoothly.

"I want to go home and see our friends," Martel spoke softly to me. My heart hurt for her. Our old friends. They were all elves and I knew they lost all respect for us when they learned we were half-elves. We couldn't go back even if we wanted to.

"Martel, just think about the future," I spoke trying to make her relax. Uneasily she nodded and closed her eyes again, trying to relax. Feeling a little more relieved that Martel was relaxing, I stood up and walked slowly to where Mithos stood, making sure I didn't loose my footing.

"Do we even have any gald?" I asked waiting for a reply. Mithos turned around thinking for a few moments and took out what seemed like an awfully small amount of glad. My heart sank, that wouldn't last us long and we wouldn't be able to buy any weapons, just food.

"What are we going to do when we run out?" I asked, trying to sound casually. To be honest I was scared to death of this journey. Mithos shrugged and waved his hand in the air to send us going any faster.

"What are going to do Yuan? We are going to try to stop this war and make peace with both worlds. All of us can use magic and stand a chance against opposing forces," Mithos chimed looking out at the water. A low gut feeling came over me. Fight?.. we were just a bunch of weak half-elves casted away like old garbage.

"We won't last a minute if we try that," I spoke rashly squinting. Mithos didn't seem offended but looked more determined then he was before we started. Ugh, if I had any chance of surviving my best bet was to go along with Mithos' insane plan and hope it went well.

"We'll see," He spoke with a smile then casted another spell which sent us crashing into the shore. I flew through the air and landed head first in the sand. Let me tell you this, a mouth full of salty sand isn't all as pleasant as you think it would be. Clenching my fist, I jerked my head out of the sand and stood up and saw Mithos and Martel stepping off the raft.

"You did that on purpose!" I hissed wiping off all the sand that had stuck to me. Impudent brat. He never really did care for me. And I didn't really have a soft spot for him either. But now we were forced on a journey, together.

"No I didn't, you're just clumsy," Mithos joked and walked past me. Scowling eviliy at him I crossed my arms very pissed. In a few minutes Martel had walked up to me, seeming embarrassed by her brother.

"I'm sorry Mithos did that. He's just hiding his feelings," Martel spoke simply shaking her head sadly. Hiding his feelings? I was hoping she meant his hurt towards the world and not his strong hate towards me. I shrugged then walked alongside her to catch up with Mithos.

"So? Where's Sybak Mr. Leader?" I asked yawning and feeling the ground beneath our feet. As if he didn't here me he lead on our group. Glimpsing over at Martel quickly, she walked beside me as if she felt better about being on land now.

"Just trust Mithos. He's been to Sybak before, when we were young," Martel explained. I found it hard not to trust Martel's wisdom. With a glimmer of amusement, I smiled at her and continued my pace to catch up with Mithos who was far ahead now.

After about an hour of walking I began to feel considerably tired in the legs. Martel and Mithos seemed fine, so I didn't speak up at all. I wouldn't allow to be called the wimp in the group. Keeping a stern look, I walked on and on and on. Mithos kept straight until finally I saw Sybak in the far distance. A sigh of relief filled me as Mithos began to walk faster. Martel seemed overjoyed by seeing a place to rest. I clenched my teeth and silently prayed that we wouldn't be found that we were half-elves.

"Remember, keep your mouths shut about our heritage," I spoke, almost in a demand as we neared the city. Mithos whirled around clenching his fists in fury.

"Do you think I'm stupid!" He hissed back at me twitching. I thought for a moment then gave a snicker of amusement.

"Am I supposed to answer that?" I asked, snickering then raised and eye brow as Mithos turned back around and lead us into the city.

Walking into the city felt like a completely different world then what we were used to. The city smelt fresh and many students attending the high class school whipped past us as if we were invisible. Placing my hands behind my head, I walked behind both Martel and Mithos.

"So should we check in with the Inn or get food?" I asked meekly. Mithos stopped for a moment, obviously in thoughts about what we should do. Moments passed but then he turned around to face both of us.

"I think it's safer to camp outside of the city. We need to check on the map of our world to find out where the Summon Spirits are," Mithos spoke slowly. My eyes widened with shock. Summon Spirits! Was this his plan from the beginning. I gulped nervously as Martel seemed horrorstruck to find out we would be making pacts with Summon Spirits.

"Mithos, there's just one problem with that. We don't have a summoner in our little group," I spoke, in dis-belief that the thought of making pacts with the Summon Spirits would actually flutter through his little brain. Martel seemed like she wanted to know the answer to that question as well.

"I... think I can make pacts with them," Mithos suddenly stuttered. I didn't want to laugh, but it just came out. I just started to laugh loudly and leaned against a building for support.

'You? Make pacts with a summon spirit? Do you honestly think you can do all these things?" I asked in tears. Both siblings starred at me thinking I was immature. Straightening up, I hesitated.

"Come on Yuan, it's worth a try," Mithos pleaded. It was worth a try? It seemed pointless to even attempt. Just remembering the stories of those who failed to make pacts losing their lives made me feel utterly disturbed.

"I for one want to live a bit longer and not be killed by an enraged Summon Spirit," I twitched furiously. Mithos didn't understand the seriousness of what he was proposing..

"Yuan's right Mithos, this is very dangerous," Martel seemed concerned. Mithos sighed then clenched his fists in protest.

"I know I can do this! Just believe me please," Mithos spoke giving his sister a soft look. Without even hearing her voice, I knew that Martel would give in to her younger brother. With a sigh, Martel nodded.

"So, what summon spirit first," I yawned leaning against a building. I still thought this was a horrible idea and we would all pay for agreeing to this.

"I don't know," Mithos admitted. Great, we were going to make pacts but we didn't even know where they were. Man was that a grand start. Hissing, I glared at Mithos.

"Then let's look up the summon spirits in Sybak library," I advised. For once Mithos seemed to agree with one of my ideas. At first I felt revieled but then a hand touched my shoulder and I jumped up in fear and startelment and ran over to where Martel was and turned to face my enemy.

He looked a few years older then me, and looked wise for his age. Ruby eyes darted from me then Martel then to Mithos. Feeling uneasily, I whispered a warning to Martel. He wore lilac clothes that clashed with his auburn hair. At first he didn't seem much a threat but my eyes rested on the sword attached to his belt. Gulping, I stood in front of the other two and twitched.

"You're not getting through me," I hissed angrily. My only weapon was my dual edged blade, but even then I wasn't a master of the weapon. I could tell Mithos and Martel were afraid but respected my courage. I thought the man would have unsheathed his sword and stricken us down but he only crossed his arms.

"I pose you no harm," He spoke. Still tensely, I lowered my alertness and stepped in between Mithos and Martel. Daringly Mithos squinted his eyes and spoke up.

"Then what do you want with us!" He snapped. I could tell he wanted to yell at the human but he stuck with those few words. Martel seemed upset at our attitudes.

"I overheard that you were going to make pacts with Summon Spirits?" He asked making a hand gesture towards Mithos. Mithos seemed amused but I glared at the man.

"You were ease dropping," I hissed angrily crossing my arms. Martel lightly grabbed my shoulder and gave me a stern look. Lowering my gaze, I looked downward.

"Allow me to introduce myself. I am Kratos, a mercenary. I have become unemployed from the pause in the war between both worlds," He explained. A Mercenary? That's the least thing we needed was to be stalked by a traitor who took money for jobs.

"And what do you want with us?" I asked bitterly. My arms still crossed, I glanced over at Mithos who was standing up for Martel also. She sighed and just let us bite the human's head off.

"If you can pay me, I'd like to accompany you in your search. My skills should prove worthy," He spoke resting a hand on his sword. I suddenly became enraged at this human's boosting of his skills. Lowering my gaze, I squinted my eyes.

"And what makes you think we need your help?" I asked cruelly. Martel grabbed my arm again in protest and whispered in my ear so Mithos could hear also.

"He seems strong. Mithos, ask how much he wants. We'll need all the help we can get if we are really to go through with making pacts," She spoke, trying to reason with us. I found the plan stupid, but Mithos agreed with his sister and turned to face Kratos.

"How much are we talking?" He asked casually. My eyes just starred at the human. Had he realized we were half-elves yet? Or was he just playing stupid. I crossed my arms and waited for a reply along with Mithos.

"Payment upon success. Of course you can pay me after the war is over," he spoke shrewdly. Pay after the job? That seemed odd for a mercenary. Most stories of these types of humans were that they were greedy beyond belief. But this one seemed different.

"Alright, then we accept your offer," Martel spoke before neither I or Mithos could answer rancorously. I awaited to see the human's reply.

"I swear if you do anything to betray us, I'll burn you to a crisp," I heard Mithos snap from Martel's side. I grinned, holding back a smile at Mithos' strive to protect his sister.

"Alright. Then It's settled. And may I ask for your names?" Kratos asked leading us into the library. I didn't like this deal what so ever. Humans couldn't be trusted, and this one seemed shady. Who knows what he could do.

"I'm Martel, and this is my younger brother Mithos," Martel spoke kindly as Mithos gave a stern look at Kratos still not amused. Martel had so much trust, and it scared both of us. "And this is-" Martel began but I cut her off.

"Yuan," I replied coldly. Kratos eyes went from the siblings then rested on me for a few moments. If he tried anything to hurt Martel he would be dead within seconds. He seemed like a worthy opponent.

"May I ask a question?" Kratos asked sitting down as Martel looked for a book on Summon Spirits. I sat down alongside Mithos. A question? This was starting to become a nuisance.

"What?" Mithos asked, interested.

"Are you.. half-elves?" He suddenly spoke in a low whisper. I became enormously tense and rose to my feet in fury.

"What gives you that idea! I swear-" I began but Kratos had hushed me.

"I don't mind either way. I was just curious," He spoke. I sat back down, still enraged. Didn't care? Pffft. That was the biggest lie I had ever heard of. Didn't care if we were half-elves? Yea riiight.

"Whatever, _human_," I answered bitterly, still eyeing the man who called himself Kratos. What an odd name. And that hair, it looked like it was up in a messy bun.

"Then my assumption is correct," Kratos spoke to himself. Mithos seemed weary of him, and went to find his sister to his help. That left me and Kratos, just eyeing each other. What right did _he _have to ask if I was a half-elf. Still feeling tense, I crossed my arms.

"Just stay the hell away from Martel and I won't have to kill you," It was an empty threat. I knew I couldn't kill him even if I tried. His power seemed endless, and I didn't dare to show him that I was weak. Too weak to protect Martel.

Author's Note:

Whoot. I made it through the first chapter of the Kharlan war thingy. I feel so special now. Anyway, Yuan seems obviously pissed about Kratos joining. Ha ha ha! I feel so bad for them x3 Anyways, you'll have to wait for the next chapter.


	2. Chapter 2: A Few Simple Ground Rules

**It's been forever since I've updated this, I've seen my errors in my last chapter about not adding enough detail and such, and I will fix that problem to the best of my ability! Ok, this next chapter will basically cover the background information about the Worlds before they were cut off from one another in all ways (seeing Mithos yggdrasill fixed it so the Wholly Ground of Kharlan was one of the only ways to go from the two worlds. And yes, for some reason I still believe it was two worlds. Heheh, I'm such an idiot. But I will change the thing about the two worlds now.**

**Important Change; I made an error with it being two worlds, so know the plot line is the world has caused a war between all the nations for mana, and the group feels the only way to solve this is to make pacts with the summon spirits. And just why is Kratos _so_ eager to join them? You'll find out sooner or later!**

**Distant Worlds  
Chapter Two: A Few Simple Ground Rules**

"Yuan! Yuan, wake up! That creepy guy is gone!"

Let's just say being awaken by an annoying twelve year old isn't all too pleasant. It was early morning, or alittle past dawn, and the morning frost was just now fading away. Staring blankly at Mithos, I could only pull the blankets around me tighter, blocking my view of the blonde. Unfortunately this was the wrong thing to do.

"Get up before I tell Martel you _love_ her," Mithos complained, still attempting his goal of pushing me awake. Snarling angrily, I ripped the blanket off my body and starred defiantly at the younger companion. Sure he knew my weakness, but he was only a child. You could never trust anything a child had to say anything. But the fact Mithos was Martel's brother was the issue. Disdainfully, I sat up in bed and just starred at the blonde.

"Don't ever try. Now, what was this about the mercenary leaving? Oh what was his name. Gwah, his name isn't important anyway, he's a human," I muttered, alittle peeved about the man's disappearance. A slight chuckle came from Mithos before he grabbed my hand and dragged me out of the hotel, not even caring to see if I wanted to put on some new clothes, or even brush my hair. The nerve of that brat.

"And Martel's with him I think," Mithos added, dragging me out into the bright sunlight of Sybak. I bit down on my lip.

"Stop at once before I-, what? He has _Martel_ with him! Once I find him I am going to blast him to pieces," I growled. I would have cussed, honestly, but Martel told me not to use fowl language around Mithos, so I tried my best to obey her rules. But it was pointless, humans used fowl language about us all the time. So what was the difference anyhow?

"Hurry! Stop babbling and follow," Mithos hissed letting go of my hand and ran off down a street. Shocked, I bolted after him. This journey was starting to become a nuisance, even though it had barely started. And the fact about this mercenary guy taking off with Martel,I just wanted to go back to Heimdall, exiled or not.

"Mithos, hold on," Panting, I tried to catch up with kid, but my running skill wasn't a strong suit I had. Leaning against the side of a building, I watched Mithos stop for a moment and whirl around to see me a few hundred feet behind.

"You're so slow! Come on Yuan! Right now that guy could be hurting my sister!" Mithos whined, and set off at even a faster pace. Just those few words set off sparks in my head, and I ran forward, ignoring any pulsing pain I was feeling at the moment. Martel was the most important thing at this moment, and that guy wouldn't dare lay a finger on her.

It was another ten minutes before both I, and Mithos, had found both Martel and that guy who's name keeps escaping my mind, at a side shop. With a sigh of relief, I walked up to them. At first I wanted to tell Martel how worried I was about her, but thought otherwise. There was a more important matter, that guy.

"You damn bastard!"Hissing, I smacked the mercenary on the back of the head with my hand, without thinking. Holding my hand in mid air, I froze. Had I just really done that? Surely my life would end here, only within seconds by the looks of this guys strengths.

"Yuan! What's gotten into you! Mr. Kratos, I'm so sorry for my friend's actions," Martel whimpered. I wasn't sure if the Martel yelling at me part was what really got to me, or her just calling me a 'friend' was what peeved me off to the point of no return. Either way, I just stood there, and watched the man, who I know remembered was Kratos, turn around. Flinching, I awaited my punishment.

"Next time figure what's happening before you result to violence, half elf."

"Shut up!"

"You really are a vulgar one aren't you? Why can't you be more like Miss Yggdrasill and respect me."

"What's there to respect! You're just a filthy human!"

"Yuan! That's enough!" Martel silenced both I and Kratos' quarrel.Silently, I made a mental note to not piss this guy off. At first I thought he was a pushover, but I was starting to realize he was just like every other human out there who thinks they are superior.

"Ha ha! Yuan's in trouble," Mithos laughed from the side of me. Wincing in the humility, I eyed Kratos angrily. Never again would he humiliate me in front of Martel,or Mithos for that fact. Or let on that I was a half-elf to the public. Never again.

"What's with you two this morning? Rushing around town like you're on fire?" Martel asked, taking the subject off of what just happened. Crossing my arms, I glanced away and pretended I was oblivious of everyone. But that act didn't last long at all before Kratos had grabbed my shoulder and violently turned me around.

"Pay attention when someone is speaking."

"Who says I'm to take orders from you!"

"Don't use that tone of voice around someone who could easily tear you to shreds if he really wanted to."

"I'd like to see you try, human."

'Silence!"Martel spoke, stepping in between Kratos and I. Mithos just stepped away from our bickering, almost in attempts to block us out. I couldn't blame him, we were starting to get annoying.

"Sorry Martel," I spoke, not daring to breath the words 'I'm Sorry' to Kratos. Glaring at him for a few seconds, I noticed he had a flicker of amusement in his eyes. This guy was disturbing beyond all reason, and I didn't think that'd change.

"Are you three done fighting yet?" Mithos asked.

"Bantering is more like it," Kratos added in, giving me a suspicious glance. I felt like yelling at him 'Yea human, be suspicious of me. You better watch you're head, seeing I might chop it off in the middle of the night' but that was unlike me.

"Bantering then. Anyhow, can we please get going to the ice caps," Pleading, Mithos clung to his sister's side, almost in attempts to protect her from anything that might occur between Kratos and I.

"What's there?"Kratos asked, finally taking his stern look off of me and resting it on the siblings. For some reason I liked it better when he was looking at me, then looking at Martel. I swear, if I ever got the strength up to beat him, I would.

"The summon spirit of snow," Mithos smiled.

"That's ice, Mithos," With a smile, Martel corrected her younger brother.

"Oh right, Summon Spirit of Ice, Undine!"

"No, that's the Summon Spirit of Water. Celsius is the Summon Spirit of Ice, brother," Martel laughed. I didn't really find this funny, seeing my mind wasn't drifting off Kratos for one moment.

"Then I assume we will be heading off to form a pact?" Kratos asked, looking away from Martel, then back to me. Finally a chance to show him how strong I really was. Well, how strong I thought I was at least. Sure I could conjure up a few lightning bolts here and there, but was that something I should be proud of? And just what powers did this Kratos guy have?

"Right," Gleaming at the older comrade, Mithos looked over his shoulder at the city entrance.

"Kratos and I have already bought a few supplies we might need for our trip," Martel added in smiling.

"Where did you get the gald?" I found myself asking, taking my weary looks off Kratos and then resting it on Martel. Man was she so pretty to look at._ Get a grip yuan, stay calm._

"Mr. Kratos volunteered to lend us the money."

"Pretty peculiar for a mercenary..." I muttered.

"Is that all you can say to Mr. Kratos after using his own money to aid our quest?" Martel almost yelled at me. Growling to myself, I stepped a few inches away from Kratos, just incase he might take too much offense to my next phrases.

"And stop calling him Mr., he doesn't even deserve to have a name..."

"Everyone deserves a name! If we didn't, then no one could tell us apart," Twitching my ear, I heard the younger Yggdrasill sibling add his two sense. Surely everyone could get along without names, humans never did call us by names anyhow. Mostly like 'it' or 'you' or 'half-breed'. So no names wouldn't be too much of a hassle for us.

"May I speak to you, alone?" Kratos suddenly asked, gesturing to me. Ok, to be honest this creeped me out. Just the thought of being alone with this guy sent shivers down my blue hair then down my spine. Maybe he was going to kill me now and get it over with.

"M-me? And I do have a name you know."

"Yes you, Yuan," I could hint sarcasm in his voice. The nerve of this human. He was so cruel to me, but so sophisticated and well-mannored around Martel and Mithos. What was so different about _me._

"Whatever, if you're going to kill me now, get it over with," I found myself saying. Honestly I didn't want that to come out, but a smile crossed the man's face for a split second.

"I'll save that for later, now come along."

Without any other choice, I followed Kratos away from the others to speak in secrecy. Really, I just wanted whatever he was going to say to be over with. But this hell was just starting, and I would have to deal with it, to prove to Martel I could handle humans, even though I couldn't.

"I have a few questions for you hal- I mean Yuan." He corrected himself before he uttered the hated words 'half elf'.

"And those are?" Snapping back, I crossed my arms and made sure there was three feet in between us.

"The lot of you come from Heimdall, correct? Then why are you even broaching the idea of stopping the Kharlan War? Surely half elves can't stop the fight between elves and humans over mana."

"Correct, and also, that's where you're wrong, human. We can stop it."

"I'd appreciate it if you'd call me Kratos, unless you want me to address you as half-elf again." A snicker appeared on his face. Sighing, I gave a light nod and waited for another question.

"Fine then, _Kratos_."

"Also, it seems you are the eldest of the group? Excluding myself that is. How old are you then?"

"Eighteen, why," I snarled.

"Ah yes, right. And what about Miss Yggdrasill?"

"Seventeen," I answered in a whisper.

"And Little Mithos?" I cringed at the sound of 'Little Mithos'.

"Twelve..." By now I felt like smacking him all over again. Why did he care so much about our age. Whatever, if he was going to ask my age, then I could surely ask his.

"And you?"

"Why do you want to know?"

"Well, if you asked our age, then I have the right to know yours!" I snarled back, losing my temper.

"Calm down. And to answer your question, twenty one," He almost said it like he was disappointed in his age. Shrugging it off, I tried to ignore his age, and the awkwardness of talking to Kratos alone.

"If you're done, hum- Kratos... I'd like to return to my fellow half elves," I hissed, trying to escape Kratos.

"Do as you please, Yuan." Just hearing him say my name was bad enough. Why couldn't he just call me half-elf again. Just hearing him say 'Yuan' sent shivers down my spine over and over again. I knew I'd never get used to this stranger. Strange he was.

"One more thing."

"What?"

"I'd like to set a few simple Ground rules before setting off to The Summon Spirit Of Ice."

"Ground rules? What makes you think you can set ground rules for us!"

"Not 'us', but just you Yuan."

"Ground Rules for me, do you think you're my father or something?"

"No, I don't."

"Then continue..."

"Stay out of my way, number one. If we're in a fight, don't try to be the hero, seeing I can already tell your physical strength is lacking. Number two, don't ever raise your tone in front of me near the others. If you have a problem, ask to speak to me in private. Surely you can even understand my reasoning behind that. And finally, I reserve the right to leave at any point of this journey. My reason being is mine, and for you not to know. Understand the rules now, Yuan?"

Staring blankly, I tried to make sense of everything he was telling me. How could he even tell that I wasn't as strong as I built myself up to be? Did I slip about it? Or was he just that observant. Humph, maybe that whack in the head did him some sense. And the rest of the rules I could deal with, odd they were, but still. I could deal.

"Fine then."

"All right, then it's settled. Let's make our way back to the others," Kratos grimaced. Reason behind his sudden sulk I did not know, and didn't honestly give a damn about.

"I second that," I yawned and followed behind pace of Kratos, not daring to defy him. Well for now, now I needed to test his boundaries, and limits. Both mentally and physically. And just possibly I could get a few of his secrets in time.

"I thought you two would never be back,"

What a welcoming greeting from the Prince Of Sarcasm, Mithos. Shifting uneasily, I took my place next to Martel and managed a fake smile. I had to show her everything was fine, even though it wasn't.

"Mithos, that's not the way to speak to Yuan and Mr. Kratos," Martel warned.

"Please, call me Kratos Miss Yggdrasill," Kratos answered with a smile. His odd like for her was getting me angrier by the second, and I felt like smacking him once more.

"Heh, all right then. But only if you call me Martel,"

"Very Well."

"I'd prefer him to be called gregeth," I muttered, cussing in elven to Mithos. It was a slip of the tongue, and Mithos had taken full pride in telling Martel of my vulgar language.

"Marteeeeellll! Yuan called someone a grothj," Mithos attempted the pronunciation. I doubted he even knew what a _gregeth_ was.

"A what?" Martel blinked, Kratos starred at the boy and glanced over at me.

"Gregeth I am?" Kratos whispered to me suddenly. Uneasily I eyed him.

"Y-you? Of course not," I replied, almost sweating and letting on the fear I was starting to have about this guy.

"Humph, just checking, Yuan," He always ended his sentences to me by saying my name. And for some reason he found amusement in saying my name also. Shrugging off any suspicions about that act, I glanced to the others.

"I was just saying that if we were going to get to the Icgiard Region we should get moving," I yawned. Icgiard Region, where the temple of the Summon Spirit Of Ice sat. The land bridge from this continent to the Icgiard was a danger, but would be better then attempting to sail by sea.

"Then we are talking the strip of land to Icgiard?" Kratos asked, looking at me sternly.

"I would assume," I replied, biting down on my bottom lip.

"All right then! And thus begins the journey of Mithos and his companions!" Mithos joked, running out ahead of the three of us. Martel quickly scampered after him, more so worried he'd get hurt or lost. Sighing, I glanced over at Kratos to see he was looking at me again.

"And so it begins," Kratos smiled and brushed past me. Twitching angrily, I growled and followed him. This was going to be a long trip. An extremely long trip.

**Author's Note:**

**Ok, 411 about this. Icgiard is the flanoir region, where Celsius is, but is much bigger and contains a few more towns and villages. It is connected to the Sybak region by a narrow strip of land on the east shore called 'Death Strip'. Or in elven "Montipleria". And that's it for the geography of Kharlan for now. I hoped you enjoyed this chapter. Heheh.**


	3. Chapter 3: Gifts Arent Always Meaningful

**And so the feud between Kratos and Yuan continues. Well, whatever fight they might have between each other. This chapter basically is going to be about their trip to and across the Death Strip and traveling across the Icigard. The pact will be in the next chapter seeing our heroes have oh so much to do before that. And yes, there are vast empty plains across the Sybka continent, unlike the game.**

**Distant Worlds  
Chapter Three: Gifts Are Not Always Meaningful

* * *

**

"I hate all these random monsters. By the time we reach Montipleria we'll be too tired to cross," Mithos complained, striding beside his older sister.

Too be honest, these monsters were actually enjoyable to slay. Just from the short battles, I had already concluded Kratos was a polished swordsmen, and modest about his abilities. But what really confused me was that he only handled his sword, and not even attempt magic. Which I highly doubted he didn't posses. Either way, I knew he noticed my skills were 'lacking'. Sure I could do some damage, but my ability with this wooden sword I had made out of sticks and stones was very low.

"We need practice either way, brother. So just think of this as an opportunity to practice," With that said, Martel smiled widely at her brother.

Just hearing her say those words made all my thoughts seem correct. If she also thought that battling was good practice, it was surely true. And just watching her smile so purely at her brother, made me feel like scum. How I wished that she could smile at _me_ like that.

"Yuan, may I have a word?"

I was pushed out of my random day dreams about Martel from Kratos' deep low voice. Sighing, I crossed my arms and glanced at the auburn haired comrade who was eyeing the sword clipped to the side of my belt intensely. At least I hoped that was what he was looking at.

"Whatever," Replying hoarsely, I slowed my pace down so both Kratos and I were yards behind the two siblings. Curiosity got the best of me, and I was eager as hell to figure out what Kratos wanted to talk about this time. Do take note of my sarcasm.

"I've been observing your skill with weaponry, and I think your current weapon is lacking," He started, eyeing me contently. Lowering my gaze down to our slow moving feet, I could only nod in agreement. What damage could a wooden sword do against a Summon Spirit? Martel and Mithos had their magic, Kratos had his sword and skills, and I? I was left with a wooden sentiment.

"So I think you'd be more then pleased to see this," He finished, reaching over his shoulder to the large leather bag he already carried on his back. I swear, that bag was the size of him, and whatever things he carried in that had to be of a gigantic proportion. Eyeing him, I watched him take out a weapon of some short. My breath went stale as I watched him lay it across his opened palms and beckoned me to look. "It's a swallow. Considering your quick reflexes, I concluded something like this would best suit you," He murmured.

Ok, I admit, I was speechless. Was this mercenary just giving me, a 'gift'. No, it couldn't be, he was human. Human I say, and humans never gave half-elves anything, did they? Becoming uneasy, I just eyed the blade.

"But you never saw me fight before we left Sybak, how could you possibly know that weapon could suit me?" That question lingered on my lips for a few seconds.

"Ah, yes about that. Don't you think I took notice of your actions outside of battle? And how could I possibly forget about the whack to the head you gave me?" A light-hearted snicker crossed his face, and he pushed it aside, and gave a stern look at the weapon.

"Sorry about that..." I almost whispered. Now was the time to say sorry, seeing Kratos seemed to be in such a giving mood. Looking up to see his reaction, his sternness melted away for a few seconds as he gave me a gentle nod.

"I've had worse done to me Yuan, believe me."

"Like what?"

"I, don't feel comfortable with telling you that at this present time. Either way, I want you to use this in battle. Our group will need all the force it can get if we even think about creating pacts," Kratos muttered, trying to hide the fact he was actually acting like a real person. Not a heartless human.

"I couldn't possibly use _that_."

"Why is that?"

"I'd end up hurting someone! The edge on both ends is hideously sharp."

"Isn't that the point? To hurt your enemy?"

"Yes, that's true but..." Sure it was true your goal was to vanquish your enemy, but to cause severe pain such as what that blade could cause. Was that really the way to go? Or was Kratos really just another power-loving warlord in disguise.

"I'm sorry if I offended you, violence is not the answer to everything. But please do take this, you'll never know when you might need it."

"Uh-huh, well whatever," I spoke, trying not to show my thankfulness. Slowly, I took the blade from Kratos' hands and just starred at it. The power it could have if used to it's full ability. This power could be endless, especially if I combined it with my little magic. Maybe practicing magic was a good idea also. No?

"You do know at the end of this journey, I will be taking on all these expensive to your bill," Kratos jerked me back from my wandering thoughts.

"You're just like all those-"

"I was only joking Yuan, no need to become enraged," Kratos sighed, and gave me a gentle smile. Ah right.

"Are you two coming or not?" Mithos had hollered back to us and was at a complete halt with Martel, almost a few hundred yards away. A slight blush creped upon my face as I locked the weapon against my belt, in the back of course.

"Thanks..." I whispered to Kratos and hurried to catch up with the others. It was Mithos to have first noticed the big weapon attached to my back. How couldn't he anyhow? I mean, that thing was incredibly huge, and the sun reflected bright rays off of it's metal coating. Which brought up another question, just why was Kratos spending so much money on our group. Or even on me?

"Whoah! What's that!" Mithos stopped in the middle of a trot, and turned around. Thank Kharlan I was a few feet behind him, if I wasn't it would have been a full on collision. Stopping dead in my tracks, I watched Martel turn around also and eye the weapon.

"Kr-," I began but Kratos suddenly cut me off.

"Yuan exchanged some of his 'wares' to me for exchange of a weapon of his choice at Sybak," Kratos added quickly, eyeing the siblings. Martel seemed to believe this lie, but Mithos only snickered.

"What kind of wares did Yuan actually have?" It was more of a laugh, but Martel had lightly slapped him behind the head to hush him. Must have worked, seeing he shut his mouth and didn't dare make a peep.

"Expensive ones, yes," Kratos just eyed me for a few seconds. Expensive? So this blade really was expensive. Was he just trying to make me feel guilty, or persuade the others. Either way, I was starting to feel like a low-life who expected gifts from anyone.

"But in addition to those wears, Yuan has agreed to receive training lessons with me," All went silent. Agree what! Training lessons from, from him? Was he out of his mind? Or was he just lieing again. Whatever the case was, I gulped down a huge drop of dread, as I watched Mithos' eye light up.

"Don't waste your time training Yuan! Train me! You couldn't even teach Yuan how to read," Mithos laughed, and Martel gave a powerful scowl.

"Mithos, how many times do I have to tell you not to be rude to Yuan. If you want something from M- Kratos, you should ask politely," Martel corrected him. With a doubtful sigh, Mithos looked back over at me.

"Sorry," It was an empty apology, I knew that brat hated my guts. So in return I hated him, but how I loved his sister. So putting up with him to be with Martel was the best thing to do.

"Then I shall train both of you," Kratos only gave a slight smile before another question filled my mind.

"But Mithos uses magic," I heard myself declare. It was really bugging me, and I just had to know whether this Kratos guy could use magic or not. If he did, he was much more of a lethal enemy, and comrade that I thought him to be.

"That's no issue. I can teach Mithos spells of fire and earth easily," Kratos looked over at Mithos and gave an encouraging look. As if he really took pride out of that look, Mithos grinned ear to ear.

"T-thanks!"

* * *

We set up camp in that spot that night. Just a simple campfire with scattered blankets to sleep under. Nothing to special, but the essentials. Either way, I was comfortable. Basically, we chose this spot because it was near a river, which provided us with water and such, and since Mithos and I had become excited about our training, Kratos suggested we rest here for the night and start tomorrow. Oddly, I was starting to like this spot of land.

"You see those rivers? They all join together to feed into the mass oceans. If even one were to wither, every one of them would be affected."

Mithos starred blankly at his sister, a little stunned. I sat alongside Kratos, just gazing at the embers and Martel. It was late night, and Kratos nodded in agreement to what Martel was saying. I looked over at the river she was talking about. It was so small and fragile. I immensely doubted it would ever grow into anything other then a small stream.

"But that river is so small Martel! I doubt if it were to be destroyed the other waterways would suffer," Something other then rivers was on Mithos' mind. He looked downward sadly. My heart felt for the half elf. The three of us had been exiled just for the fact we were half elven and half human.

"Mithos, every life has a purpose," She spoke contentedly running her hand through his yellow hair. I looked over at Kratos who was leaning against a log.

"Martel's right," I replied uneasily. I was lying. I knew if any of us were to die, the only ones to be effected would be the rest of us. But that was saying the most. The un-caring mercenary who sat a few feet away from me could care less if our lives were in peril.

"You don't believe that Yuan! You're just agreeing with her because you like her," Mithos spoke stubbornly. My heart suddenly beat rapidly. That little twerp... I glanced over at Martel who had turned a light scarlet. Mithos was right, I did like her. She was absolutely breath taking in the firelight and even the moonlight.

"I..." I trailed off starring at the two siblings. Martel gave a reassuring smile back at me as if to say it was all right. Nodding my head, I looked over at Mithos who held Martel's panpipe close in hand. Before he could even say anything, I knew what he would request.

"Sis, can you play a song?" He asked leaning against her. A smile flickered over her already content face. With a gentle nod, she extending her hand and took the panpipe from her brother and then brought it up slowly to her mouth. Within moments, she was playing a melodic song. Her songs were just a mirrored reflection of herself. Beautiful and complex.

".." Mithos had drifted asleep leaning against her. She continued to play for a few more moments then retired the panpipe to her side. Her gaze reached where I sat.

"I'm going to retire for the night, hope you have sweet dreams," She said, slightly blushing. I nodded, nervously and in a few seconds she had fallen asleep alongside her brother. Waiting for a few seconds to make sure they were in a doze I spoke to myself.

"I will. Any dream is sweet when you're in it..." My voice trailed off as I starred at the roaring flames. It was a relaxing night but then Kratos suddenly spoke for the first time that night. He had gotten up and sat down right next to me.

"Do you really believe every life has an importance?" He asked. His voice showed no emotion. Nothing at all, just an empty hollow voice. I thought a bit, then cleared my throat, and attempted to speak in a soft voice not to wake up Martel or Mithos.

"Before I met Martel, no I didn't believe it. But now I do believe it," I replied, not looking at him but looking at her sleeping body. I heard a gruff sound from the mercenary as he crossed his arms.

"This journey is starting to be more then I bargained for," I heard him say simply. Turning my head to face the auburn companion, puzzlement filled my eyes.

"You can leave anytime. No one's stopping you. You can collect your pay and leave, just like a human," I spoke bitterly. At first I thought Kratos would be offended, but he wasn't. A smirk rolled across his face as he starred at me then to the roaring flame.

"I won't leave just yet," Was all he said. I shrugged then looked beyond the flames, beyond Martel to the small creek. It was so peaceful.

"I'm not sure I can even use magic," I muttered, confessing my lack of skills to the one who sat next to me. At first I thought Kratos had known of this flaw, but he simply smiled and tilted his head.

"Really, Is that so? Come with me if that's the case," Kratos murmured, standing up and walking over a few hundred yards away from the sleeping siblings. Uneasily, I gave one more look at the sleeping Martel, and disdainfully stood up and made my way over to Kratos.

"What?"

"Hit me."

"Hit you? Why!"

"With magic I mean."

"But, I'm not sure I can."

"Try," Kratos demanded. I felt really pathetic as I began to murmur an incantation Mithos commonly used, and the result was nothing. I swear that my face turned as red as a tomato as I starred, completely embarrassed at the skilled mercenary.

"I told you I can't do magic," Hissing, I looked down in disgrace.

"No, now try it with your weapon."

"Huh?" I wasn't too sure on what he wanted me to do. Sighing, Kratos walked up closer to me, took the weapon off my back, and placed it in my hands. Gazing sternly in my eyes, he muttered.

"Now, spin it in the air while you say a spell," Kratos commanded.

"But that's just stupid," I replied uneasily. Kratos seemed a bit offended, and cursed something I couldn't hear and glared back at me.

"Just do it."

"Fine, whatever." Lowering my gaze, I thought the words to the spell in my head as I spun the blade in the air. My arms were becoming tired from swinging something that heavy in the air, but I tried my best to finish the spell. Almost combining the last few words, I watched as a bolt of lightning suddenly fell from the heavens at Kratos.

"Guardian!" Thankfully he had blocked it, and a grin of amusement passed his lips as he walked up to me.

"Told you," Was all he said before returning to the campsite. I looked downward, I didn't like Kratos being right all the time. How could he possibly know more about my powers then me? That was just stupid, pushing away any confusion, I walked back to camp also.

"Get some sleep Yuan, I'll stay watch tonight," Kratos brisk fully said, not looking at me when he said it, but looked at Mithos and Martel.

"You're planning on staying up all night?" That question came out without me even trying to say it.

"Correct, now get to sleep before you wake the others," He almost commanded. Well, what I really wanted was to talk and learn some more about this mystery Kratos, but a demand was a demand, and I regretfully nodded and curled up in my blanket.

"G'night Kratos," Those words escaped my lips as I shut my eyes and was half asleep. Almost in a trance.

"Humph," Was all I could hear in reply before I fell back asleep.

* * *

"Breakfast!"

Sharply placing my hands over my ears, I heard Martel banging a pan against something hard, something that made a lot of noise. Growling, I tried my best to ignore it, but the sound was drilling a hole through my head. How could I ignore something so loud?

"He's always a over-sleeper," Mithos spoke, jabbing my limp body in the back. I suspected he was talking to Kratos, and I reared up and growled at the young boy.

"At least I'm not a pest," Snarling back, I eyed him, and looked over at Kratos who was eating on the other side of the campfire alongside Martel. Sighing, I stood up and sat down next to Martel and whispered something to her,

"Sorry about oversleeping," Was all that came out. She stopped eating for a few seconds, then smiled lightly at me.

"It's alright. You're ability with your blade makes up for it," I watched as a deep blush overcame her, and she quickly went back to eating. Tilting my head, I could only conclude she was talking about me and Kratos' private lesson last night. But I thought she was sleeping? Now I felt like a complete idiot, swinging a blade around like a lunatic and muttering odd words.

"Mithos, would you like to begin your training?" Kratos spoke, setting down his empty bowl. His eyes seemed emotionless as he asked the question. Sadly, Mithos ran over to him and nodded.

"Sure! I already got my kendama ready," His smile was wide, and it showed his enthusiasm.

"Behave Mithos," Martel smiled and watched Kratos and Mithos walk off. Silently, I thanked Kratos for taking Mithos off for a few. I glanced over at Martel who was just finishing her breakfast. She sat down the bowl, and looked at her staff.

"So," I found myself asking. Ok, I was as nervous as hell right now. This was basically the first time I had ever been alone with Martel. Truth be told. Mithos was always in our way, and just to spend some quality time with her was worth the wait.

"Well Yuan, I was thinking I could teach you some healing arts," That smile, damn I loved that smile on her. Shocked, I nodded and thought about the idea of me using healing arts. Man could that help.

"But, don't you have to be born with the talent?"

"Well, so the legends have said. But who's to say you don't have the talent inside you Yuan?"

"I don't have that talent, I'm sure of it."

"Can't say that unless you try!" She persisted.

"Martel, I don't want you to waste your mana on teaching me something I can't learn," Wearily, I watched her continue to smile.

"Just give it a shot," With those words, she tugged on my sleeve to get up. "What else is there to do?"

"I guess, but I do reserve the right to say 'I told you so'," I groaned as I got up alongside her and walked to the river. For some reason she sat down next to it and ran a hand through the cascading water, almost as if this was part of the healing arts procedure.

"Stick your hand in here," Martel commanded.

"Why?" Asking, I watched her close her eyes.

"It helps you relax." She told me.

"Ah, right," Sticking my hand in the water, I tried to relax, but with all this excitement lately, how could I possibly relax?

"Now, concentrate on one pure thing in your mind, something you really love or want, and say 'Aerligth'," Martel instructed. Something I really loved and wanted, that was easy enough. Her. I loved and wanted her for ten years now, and I knew this was something I could focus on.

"Right," I closed my eyes and took my hand out of the water and whispered the word. I wasn't sure if I pronounced it wrong, or if this proved I had no healing abilities.

"Try once more, I'm sure you can do it."

"What does Aerligth mean anyhow?" I found myself asking her.

"Wholly Light, in ancient elven that is," A smile trickled across her face.

"I knew that," Lying through my teeth, I tried to concentrate once more on the word Aerligth and Martel. I just had to cast this stupid healing spell to prove I wasn't weak. But I knew full well I didn't have the power of healing arts like Martel did. So this was another useless attempt.

"See, I can't do it."

"But it was worth a shot," Smiling, she looked back down at the river. "There's something I'd like to speak to you about."

My nerves just went for a roller coaster ride. Just the idea of Martel saying we needed to talk about something was pure bliss. Man did I want to know what she wanted to talk about, and at a time we were alone. This was going great!

"Hmm?"

"I'm afraid Mithos might harm himself on this journey..."

Mithos, everything always went back to Mithos. How I despised that little twerp. Always getting all the attention and power, always being praised, when was it my turn? When did I get the chance to show I was worth a damn? And when would I finally be able to tell Martel the feelings I have for her. Never, that's when.

"Oh Mithos, yes. But we can't stop now."

"I know that. But I just don't feel that Mithos is capable of this much reasonability even if he does manage to form a pact. That's a lot of power at your disposal. I'm afraid for him, and I'm afraid for the world," A tear was forming in her eye as she told me her worries. At first I felt like comforting her, but I thought better of it.

"Even though I hate to admit this, Mithos has a good head on his shoulders. He'd never misue his powers."

"Right, I'm sorry for even brining this up Yuan."

"Nah, it's ok. Anytime you want to talk, I'm here." Now that was the stupidest thing I had ever said to her. Anytime she wanted to talk? If she didn't get the idea I liked her now, I was pretty sure she would never.

* * *

It was around an hour before Kratos and Mithos had arrived back at camp from their training. Mithos seemed to be glowing with pride, but Kratos seemed eternally tired. Tilting my head, I watched as Mithos ran over to his sister to tell her of his accomplishments. My only other thoughts other then Martel were focused on Kratos.

"You seem tired," I asked, not even realizing I had walked up to him. Why did I even walk up to him? Why couldn't I keep telling myself he was human, and a human could never be a friend.

"No, I'm the same as usual," He retorted, walking past me to sit down next to the blankets of camp. Sighing, I walked back to him and sat down.

"How was your training with Mithos?"

"Fine."

"That's all? Fine?"

"Yes, fine," He spoke, a little irritated. Shifting uneasily, I found myself in a position that was uncomfortable. Kratos didn't look like he wanted to talk to me, but I found myself continuing to ask questions.

"May you should relax for the rest of the day. Tomorrow we're heading off to Death Strip."

"I'll be fine, stop your worrying," He spoke, glancing over at me with curiosity to me sudden worry.

"I wasn't worrying. I was just making sure you wouldn't pass out right in the middle of the journey," I retorted uneasily. He had no right to say I was worrying about him, even though in the deepest part of my heart, I was the tiniest bit concerned about this humans well-being.

"Humph."

"I have a question," I asked, crossing my arms as I starred at Kratos.

"Go ahead," He replied, half listening.

"Listen!" I snarled. Kratos snapped out of any drifting thoughts he had, and looked at me sternly.

"Yes?"

"I want to know the truth, why did you join us so quickly back at Sybak," I spoke sternly. I had to know this question, maybe he was a spy and plotting our downfall. Or just a curious human, though I doubted it was either one.

"Like I said, I'd like to keep my past to myself."

"No, I want to know Kratos." I snapped back.

"I said, no," His voice raised and his body tensed for a few moments before he looked downward and cussed to himself.

"Fine, don't tell me. Like I could care about a human anyhow," Raising an eyebrow, I watched for any reaction. Raising his head back up, his ruby eyes seemed a little startled at my sudden change of attitude.

"In time you will know," Was all Kratos replied with a light smile. Unsheathing his sword, he arose to his feet. "Would you like to practice sparring now, Yuan?"

I wasn't sure if I had smiled back, but I felt like I did. Grabbing my weapon from it's resting place next to my blankets I gave a stiff nod.

"One condition."

"Hmmm?" He asked, tilting his head.

"You don't hold back."

"We'll see Yuan, we'll see."

* * *

**Author's Note:**

**Oh we'll see alright! We will see! LOL! Yea, I liked this chapter, alittle odd, but still, a chapter! Yes, next chapter they shall cross the dreaded Death Strip! Like omigosh! Not the Death Strip! Everybody hide! Yea, lol. But after they cross it, there will be a town before making their way to Celsisus. What town? Now giving that away would be suicide! **

**Anyways, please review and leave a comment about this chapter. I tried my best to stay in character, though Yuan's attitude keeps flip flopping from anger to content-ness, he's just like that. Anyway, I hope to have the next chapter up soon. Until then, Adios Amgios!**


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